Are you suffering from hyper-fatigue? As experts say it's the new epidemic, the signs to look out for...
and when doctors say you need to seek help By Etan Smallman Published: 11:55, 27 August 2024 | Updated: 11:55, 27 August 2024 e-mail View comments Modern life can frazzle the best of us. A survey by YouGov found that one in eight Brits 'exist in a state of constant exhaustion', and a quarter feel tired most of the time. Another poll found that 55 per cent of us describe ourselves as 'hyper-fatigued' – a phrase that originated from a 2023 trends report by the market research firm Mintel, and related to consumers being bombarded by too much information.
'The pandemic, rising cost of living , energy crisis, geopolitical unrest and climate crisis are taking their toll,' it warned. But when does fatigue become a medical matter? And what can you do about it? Here are some questions to consider..
. WHAT IS FATIGUE? Vincent Deary, professor of applied health psychology at Northumbria University and author of How We Break: Navigating the Wear and Tear of Living, says: 'One way to think about fatigue is as a physical, emotional and/or mental response to either too much demand or reduced capacity. It's a signal that things are too much.
' Fatigue is different to tiredness, which usually goes away with sleep, and is seen as a physical, emotional and/or mental response to either too much demand or reduced capacity GPs opt for the term 'TATT', or 'tired all the time', rather than 'hyper-fatigue', says David Strain, associate professor of cardiometabolic health at the University of Exeter Medical School. It can be caused by a variety of factors, from lifestyle issues to serious health conditions. ARE YOU LOOKING AFTER YOURSELF? To keep fatigue at bay, first make sure you are eating regular meals, drinking enough water, taking regular exercise, getting sufficient sleep and keeping stress to a minimum.
The NHS advises reducing alcohol, particularly before bedtime, and ideally avoiding caffeine for seven hours before sleep. It also warns that obesity could be causing long-term fatigue by putting 'extra strain on your heart, which can make you tired. Lose weight and you'll feel much more energetic'.
WHEN DOES IT BECOME A MEDICAL PROBLEM? Expert Karin Orman says sufferers can have a burst of energy, then be 'exhausted for days' Fatigue is different to tiredness, which usually goes away with sleep, says Karin Orman, of the Royal College of Occupational Therapists. 'People with fatigue may have bursts of energy, but could then feel exhausted for hours or days afterwards.' Professor Strain says that 'if it is constant, unrelenting and disproportionate to the activity, that is when we start doing our investigations'.
See your GP, who may offer blood tests to try to rule out anaemia, vitamin deficiencies – particularly vitamin B12 – kidney disease, liver problems, underactive thyroid and diabetes, which can all cause fatigue. Your tiredness could also be 'post Covid-19 syndrome' – ongoing symptoms of the infection that last for at least two months. Your GP may refer you to a specialist 'long Covid' clinic.
COULD IT BE M.E.? The cause of myalgic encephalomyelitis (M.
E.), also known as chronic fatigue syndrome, is unknown, but the most common symptom is extreme tiredness. It also causes sleep problems, issues with concentration and 'post-exertional malaise', where an everyday activity will leave you wiped out.
Professor David Strain says extreme tiredness is a common symptom of M.E. Professor Strain says: 'For example, you'll make dinner for the family and then need to rest as if you've just run a marathon.
' A diagnosis is only made once other conditions are ruled out. You may be referred to a specialist M.E.
service, which can offer cognitive behavioural therapy, advice on how to make best use of the energy you have without exacerbating your symptoms and medicines to control pain or sleeping problems. Sadly, there is no cure, though treatments may help you manage the condition and relieve the symptoms. ARE YOU PRIORITISING JOY AND REST? Professor Deary says it is also important to identify what makes you happy.
'Have a look at the things that are occupying your time. Do they nourish or do they just deplete?' You should also give yourself permission to rest. Professor Deary says one of the biggest obstacles he observed in his decade working at a clinic seeing patients with fatigue was 'people believing that rest needed to be earned, that rest was for the weak, or that 'doing nothing' was associated with guilt and shame'.
He adds: 'Rest isn't a luxury. The key thing is to find out what works for you, be it reading, being in nature, meditating, culture, gardening, walking, connecting with a friend, gaming or crafts. 'What simple but vital activities leave you better than they found you? Do more of them.
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